Apparatus for electrically treating liquids



H. B. RUDD.

APPARATUS FOR ELECTHICALLY TREATING LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22. 1919.

l ,360,147. Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

, zen of the United States, residing at Akron,

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE..

HARRY B. RUDD, or AKRON, oHIo, assrenorc, 'ro THE ELEc'rBoruaE DAIRY i comrm, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION. I

arranarus roR'nLEormcALLY TREATING LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent. j Pat t d N 30 0 Application filed September 22, 1919. Serial nohazaaos.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY B. RUDD, a citi- Summit county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Electrically Treating Liquids, of which the following, taken in connection with the drawing, is a description.

My invention has for its object the production of an apparatus designed to be used in the treatment ofliquids by electricity,

having for its primary object the destruction of any organic life contained therein, such for instance as bacteria in milk.

Anotherobject of my invention is to provideyan apparatus for electrically'treating.

liquids, preparatory to sterilizing the same, wherein. the temperature of the liquid is raised fifty degreesmore or less before the final treatment. is given to it.

Another object of my invention is to provide mechanism for automatically controlling the'passage of the liquid through the receptacle in which the liquid is being treated, so that as the liquid enters the receptacle at one end at any temperature, it. leaves the receptacle at the opposite end at a-certain predetermined temperature and the liquid itself becomes the medium for affecting its discharge, the entire operation being accomplished automatically. I

My invention further consists in detailsof construction and in the arrangement of the several parts of my improved apparatuswherein certain important advantages are attained and the .device rendered simpler and less expensive and otherwise more convenient and'advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustratedwhat I now consider to the preferred formofF-an, embodiment of -my inventioli, and in these drawings,

Figure 1, is. a side elevation of the a pa;

ratus, and same.

Fig. 2, is a top plan view 0 the Referring to the drawings, A represents a suitable support or table for the different be water, milk, fruit juices or any other parts of my apparatus, and this support may be of any convenient height desired.

The receptacle B rests upon an elevation B liquid containing organic life. It ispo sintake end thereof and provided at the opposite end with a discharge spout, o, from whence the liquid passes into a receptacle D suitably supported in the table A.

I Arranged upon each side of the elongated receptacle C are electrodes D-D, which electrodes are preferably in the form of plates, extending practi cally the entire length of the receptacle 0 on the inside thereof. Connectedtherewith are, the terminal wires, dd' which extend to any suitable source of electrical energy not vhere shown; said wires also having connection with the electrodes D'D through the wall of the receptacle C at d E 'is a thermostat positioned in a suit able housing 6 which is arranged beneath and secured to theelongated receptacle C. This thermostat may be any well known self acting apparatus,- designed for regulating temperatures by the'unequal expansion of a liquid or other gases contained therein. In.

1 the thermostat here shown I have found in I torily for this purpose.

F is a tube extending from the expansion chamber E of the thermostat through the wall C' of the receptacle to the bulb E. which is-preferably positioned transversely of the receptacle at the discharge end thereof.

6 is a rod extending from the expansible chamber of the'thermostat to the wallof the rece tacle. C to which it is attached at e. I

. l hen the liquid atwhatever temperature it may be in the receptacle B discharges into the receptacle C said receptacle is positioned preferably although not necessarily ina horizontal plane. The flow of the liquid into the receptacle causes said receptacle to tilt downwardly at the intake end receptacle D.

As'the liquid is constantly moving from the thereof. By the current of electricity passing through the wires cZ-cZ.and the electrodes DD to and through the liquid contained in the receptacle, said liquid isaccomplished by allowing the liquid, to pass I in a stream from the receptacle 13 to the receptacle C where it comes in contactwith' the electric current which passes through it from both sides of the receptacle. As the liquid progresses toward the exit end of the receptacle C, its temperature is gradually rising until it reaches the ether filled bulb E.

The rise in temperature causes the thermostat to act through the expansible chamber E to elevate the intake end of the receptacle C which is moved upwardlywith the expansion of the chamberE' until the thermostat tilts said receptacle C from a, horizontal plane to a position inclining downwardly'at the exit end of the receptacle.

The action of the thermostat is such that as the temperature of the liquid in recep-.

tacle C" rises, the action of ,the thermostat causes the receptacle to incline sufficiently to dlscharge its contents by gravity into the intake end to the discharge end of the receptacle, its duration in transit is determined by the angle of the receptacle, which in turn determines the heating of the liquid being treated.

In the use of the words electrical currents or currents of electricity through:

out this specification, alternating currents of electricity are utilized in the apparatus herein disclosed, which currents enter the liquid through the electrodes D D having connection with the wires d-(l', as clearly shown in Fig. 2, of the drawing.

I claim: l 1. In an apparatus for electrically treatng liquids, a receptacle movably mounted in a horizontal plane, a supply reservoir discharging liquid into the aforesaid receptacle, electrodes in said receptacle, and means for automatically causing the discharge of the liquid from the receptacle at a predetermined temperature.

2. In an apparatus for electrically treating liquids, an elongated receptacle pivotally mounted at the center thereof, electrodes arranged in said receptacle, said electrodes causing electric currents to fiowfrom elechaving connection with a source of electrical energy, means for supplying liquid at one end' of said receptacle, and means for antomatically causing the discharge of said liquid at a predetermined temperature.

3. In an apparatus for electrically treating liquids, an elongated receptacle pivotedly mounted in a horizontal plane, electrodes arranged on opposite sides of said receptacle, said electrodes having connection with a source of electrical energy, and a thermostat controlling. the passage of said liquid and automatically causing the discharge of the same at a predetermined temperature.

. 4. Ina-n apparatus for electrically treating liquids, a receptacle tiltingly mounted in a suitable frame, means for causing a flow of liquid through said receptacle, means for trodes in said receptacle into; and through said liquid, and means for automatically tilting said receptacle to discharge the liquid at a predetermined temperature.

5. In an apparatus for electrically treating liquids, an elongated receptacle movably mounted in a horizontal plane, means for causing a flow of liquid through said receptacle, means for causing electric currents to pass into and through the liquid in the receptacle, and thermodynamic mechanism operating to tilt said receptacle to an in clined position and discharge the liquid passing therethrouglr. w 6. In apparatus for electrically treating liquids, a receptacle, electrodes arranged on opposite sides of said receptacle, and means for controlling the discharge of liquid from said receptacle at a predetermined temperature. I

7. Apparatus for purifying, sterilizing, or aging liquids, comprising a substantially flat runway on which the liquid may flow the electrical circuit and operative electrical connections. a

9. An apparatus for treating milk including a continuous runway free from obstruction from endto end and electrodes in said runway positioned to engaged by the milk in its'passage through the runway but not interrupting its passage through the" runway.

10. An apparatus for treating milk including a continuous runway, electrodes in said runway, and temperature responsive means to controlthe discharge ofmilk from said runway.

11.An apparatus for treating milk including a continuous runway, electrodes in said runway, and means to control the discharge of milk from said runway at a'predetermined temperature.

12. Apparatus for purifying milk, com

prising a runway through which milk may run in a continuous stream, electrodes in said runway with which the milk comes in contact as'it passes through the runway, the milk being a part of the electric circuit, and

an operative electrical connection for-said,

electrodes, temperature responsive means to control the flow of milk whereby the milk is held until it is heated to a predetermined temperature before it is discharged from without diverting the straightway course of the milk through the runway, and temperature responsive means controlled by the temperature of the milk in the runway, whereby the discharge of the milk from the runway is regulated so that the milk-is discharged from said runway at a predetermined temperature.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

\VHARRY B. RUDDQ" 

